Hey guys, sorry I've been away for a while.
I want to bring you all up to speed on what's happened over in Cranston, RI.
Last time I spoke about this, I told you that the school subcommittee voted 4-1 to keep the banner.
Well now the official school board has made their final decision. 4-3 to keep the banner...
The banner's creator, David Bradley said it was meant to be non-denominational (ha!).
"I don't believe that prayer has hurt or injured or warped a single one of them. They are probably better citizens for having recited, read or even seen my prayer," David Bradley said.
"... the constitutional prohibition against laws respecting an establishment of religion must at least mean that in this country it is no part of the business of government to compose official prayers for any group of the American people to recite as a part of a religious program carried on by government."
- Justice Hugo Black
Hmm...
Has David Bradley ever been a judge of the US Supreme Court?
Now the city is going to have to find the money to fight an expensive legal battle with the ACLU. They're going to seek a lawyer who will do it pro-bono, but even if they do, they stll have to pay other court costs that will directly drained from school funding.
Once again, I'll point out that this isn't about forbidding religion or prayer in school. Students have every right to do so alone or with a group as long as it's not disruptive. School officials are the ones who are forbidden from endorsing religion. Keep in mind that the the violation of the establishment clause is not based on someone’s being offended or being able to avoid the prayers, but instead on the government’s involvement in and active promotion of a religious activity.
The school board committee said they were representing the majority opinion. Well the constitution wasn't written to protect the majority. It was made to protect the minority. This isn't American Idol.
